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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Sep 11:13:1691-1700.
doi: 10.2147/CIA.S163067. eCollection 2018.

Effects of a specially designed aerobic dance routine on mild cognitive impairment

Yi Zhu  1 , Han Wu  2 , Ming Qi  3 , Sheng Wang  4 , Qin Zhang  1 , Li Zhou  1 , Shiyan Wang  5 , Wei Wang  6 , Ting Wu  6 , Ming Xiao  7 , Siyu Yang  8 , Hong Chen  9 , Ling Zhang  4 , Kathryn Chu Zhang  10 , Jinhui Ma  11   12 , Tong Wang  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of a specially designed aerobic dance routine on mild cognitive impairment

Yi Zhu et al. Clin Interv Aging. .

Abstract

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is known as a transitional stage or phase between normal aging and dementia. In addition, it is associated with an increased risk of dementia. Research has shown that moderate-intensity exercise is associated with a decreased risk of cognitive impairment. Two recent studies demonstrated that dance interventions are associated with improved cognitive function in the elderly with MCI.

Purpose: We evaluated the effect of a moderate-intensity aerobic dance routine on the cognitive function in patients with MCI.

Patients and methods: This is a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Sixty MCI patients were randomized to receive either treatment (aerobic dance routine + usual care) or control (usual care only) for 3 months. All patients received usual care for an additional 3 months thereafter. The aerobic dance routine was a specially designed dance routine which involved cognitive effort for patients to memorize the complex movements. Wechsler memory scale-revised logical memory (WMS-R LM) and event-related evoked potentials (ERPs) P300 latency were used to assess patients' cognitive function at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months.

Results: Twenty-nine patients received exercise therapy and 31 patients received usual care. Patients in the treatment group showed a greater improvement in memory (difference in WMS-R LM changes over 3 months 4.6; 95% CI 2.2, 7.0; p<0.001) and processing speed (difference in P300 latency changes over 6 months -20.0; 95% CI=-39.5, -0.4; p<0.05) compared to control.

Conclusion: This dance routine improves cognitive function, especially episodic memory and processing speed, in MCI patients and merits promotion in communities.

Keywords: cognitive function; dance; memory; mild cognitive impairment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Patient disposition during the trial.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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